For the first time in many years, you as a job seeker have the upper hand. Unemployment is low and companies admit they will have to do more to attract candidates.
You may have noticed stories about employees appearing on company career pages. Companies want to attract the candidates who are interested in working for them and are making a greater effort to show candidates what it is like to work there. You can also expect to see improvements to the recruiting process, which has been notoriously bad over the years. Here are some trends to watch for.
[See: The 25 Best Jobs of 2018.]
Greater transparency for candidates. Wouldn’t you like to know if your resume has been reviewed? Greater transparency in the job application and interview process is possible. Glassdoor highlighted Johnson & Johnson’s “Shine” platform in their Research Report for December of 2017. The “Shine” platform allows candidates to “check on the progress of their application, get information on next steps, and browse related information about the role and company that’s relevant to where they are in the hiring process,” according to the report. Just as you can track your FedEx package, says Glassdoor, candidates can track where they are in the pipeline. Look for more of these types of platforms at other companies in the future.
You may be chatting with a bot. Artificial intelligence will help speed up time-consuming parts of the recruiting process. Many recruiters and human resources experts have predicted the use of chatbots and now it’s happening. During the pre-screening process, you could be interacting with a chatbot to help schedule an interview. Ultimately, the time savings will speed up the scheduling process for you and help recruiters spend more time actually learning about candidates.
[See: 10 Reasons to Quit Your Job Already.]
Role experimentation for internal moves. Holding onto good employees is becoming more important to companies now that there is a shortage of talent in many areas. You shouldn’t have to leave a company to move into a different role. Recognizing that not everyone wants a promotion, companies are doing more to facilitate a lateral move. Glassdoor’s report says some companies are enabling employees to test drive new roles in a more formalized way. Role experimentation helps employees more easily learn about different jobs in the organization and the skills involved.
Innovation coming to interviews. According to LinkedIn’s 2018 Global Recruiting Trends report, companies will continue to use traditional interviews. But in order to assess soft skills, reduce bias and get a better sense of the candidate’s personality, many companies have begun using new interview tools and methods. You can expect to see soft skills assessments included as part of your next job application and virtual reality assessments to see how you would handle certain situations. Job auditions, where candidates are paid to complete real work assignments, are another way employers are evaluating skills and building a pipeline of future candidates. Also, don’t be surprised if your next interview takes place in a restaurant. There’s something about a casual setting that lets your true personality come through. And of course, video interviews made the list of innovations. While this isn’t new, it is becoming a cost-effective way to pre-screen candidates. So if you are asked to partake in any of these types of interview activities this year, don’t be surprised. It’s the company’s way of trying to get to know you better — and in the process, you’ll get to know them better, too.
[See: Here’s What You Should Know About Gen Z Workers.]
Tips for handling these changes. If you have questions about a new or unexpected step in the application process, ask human resources. For example, if you are nervous about an assessment, you may ask what types of questions to expect and how long it will take. Video interviews are very common. Whether scheduled over Skype in real time or recorded and submitted, you have to expect to be on camera. Not only do you need to feel confident with your answers, but you’ll also need to be comfortable using the technology and watching yourself on camera. The best way to master video interviews is by practicing. This may help alleviate your fear of the unknown.
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4 Innovations to the Recruiting Process to Look for in 2018 originally appeared on usnews.com
